‘Kong: Skull Island’ Almost Took Place in a Different Time Period

One of the coolest reveals in the first trailer for Kong: Skull Island was that director Jordan Vogt-Robert would be battling King Kong during the Vietnam War era, which is an interesting way to bring the monster into the real world. Being that it’s a re-remake of King Kong, it’s also a nice break from the 1933 setting of both the original and Peter Jackson’s 2005 interpretation.

In an interview with Empire Magazine, Vogt-Robert reveals that the original screenplay took place even earlier(!) than both aforementioned films:

The script I first read took place in 1917. But when I started talking to the Legendary guys, I was thinking, ‘What weird King Kong movie would I want to see?’ So I pitched them the Vietnam War connection, literally thinking they were gonna laugh me out of the room. And to Legendary’s credit, they said, ‘Cool. Let’s figure it out.’ The aesthetics of that time mixed with King Kong makes for an incredible genre mash-up.”

In the film: A diverse team of explorers is brought together to venture deep into an uncharted island in the Pacific – as beautiful as it is treacherous – unaware that they’re crossing into the domain of the mythic Kong.

Skull Island opens in theaters on March 10th, 2017, followed by Godzilla 2, which is being directed by Michael Dougherty, on March 22, 2019, and Godzilla vs. Kong on May 29, 2020.

Co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, the V/H/S trilogy, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily.